2017 McWatters Collection Brut

April is BC Wine Month and I am celebrating five years of writing this blog and 400 Instagram posts. A celebration calls for a special wine so I pulled out the 2017 McWatters Collection Brut. 

I met Harry McWatters in 2017, at the beginning of my wine journey. That year, I was fortunate to attend the BC Wine Appreciation Society’s (BCWAS) celebration of Harry McWatters’ 50^th vintage. Harry was an engaging speaker with knowledge in spades and fantastic stories to share. 

Harry joined the BC wine industry in 1968 at the age of 23 as the head of sales at Casabello Wines. In 1978 he was promoted to Director of Marketing. Then in 1979 he mortgaged his house and, together with a partner, purchased a golf course, turning it into the first estate winery in the Okanagan; it was called Sumac Ridge.

While at Sumac Ridge, Harry was instrumental in bringing the term Meritage to BC. Meritage, which rhymes with heritage, is a term used to describe a wine made with a blend of at least two of the following varietals: Cabernet Sauvignon, Merlot, Cabernet Franc, Malbec, Petit Verdot, St. Macaire, Gros Verdot and Carmenère. No single varietal may comprise more than 90% of the blend. Sumac Ridge was the first winery in Canada to produce a Meritage. Sumac Ridge was also the first winery in BC to produce a premium sparkling wine made in the traditional method. It was called Steller’s Jay Cuvée, and it was first released in 1989.

Fast forward nearly three decades, to the spring of 2018, when Harry opened TIME Winery & Kitchen. TIME Winery & Kitchen was established in downtown Penticton, at the PenMar Movie Theater which was built in 1956. The theater underwent renovations including seismic upgrades and construction of a production facility, tasting room, wine shop, theatre and lounge. 

(For more on Harry McWatters check out Harry McWatters and the Beginning of TIME)

Sadly, just over a year after the winery’s opening, Harry McWatters passed away in July of 2019. Harry’s passing was a huge loss for his family and friends, as well as the BC wine industry. 

In July 2020, TIME Winery & Kitchen was sold to Five Vines Cellars. Five Vines Cellars is a private, family company owned by British Columbians, Ron and Shelley Meyert. In 2021 Five Vine Cellars was renamed TIME Family of Wines. Despite the sale, Harry’s daughters, Christa-Lee and Darrien, carry-on as General Manager and Production Manager respectively. The Mayerts are committed to keeping TIME family owned and operated with a focus on handcrafted, small batch wines.

After 50 vintages, Harry McWatters is often referred to as the grandfather of the BC wine industry. He was one of the first to plant Bordeaux varietals on the Black Sage Bench in Oliver, BC. He is one of the founders of the Okanagan Wine Festival and founding Chair of the BC Wine Institute, the BC Wine Information Society and Vintners Quality Alliance (VQA) Canada.  He was presented with an Honorary Doctor of Laws Degree from the Okanagan University College in 2001 for the role he played in the development of both BC and Canada’s wine industry and in 2003 he received the Order of BC for Outstanding Achievement. 

An exhaustive list of Harry McWatters’ accomplishments would be too long to include here, so let’s talk about this wine. 

2017 McWatters Brut $64.99

The 2017 McWatters Brut is a celebration of Harry’s 50^th vintage in the BC Wine industry. It is a blend of 65% Chardonnay, 25% Pinot Noir and 10% Pinot Blanc. The grapes were sourced from vineyards in Kelowna, Penticton and Oliver. The Chardonnay component of the wine underwent frequent lees stirring before being blended into the final cuvée and bottled for the second fermentation. The wine was aged for 42 months en tirage before disgorgement. 

This traditional method sparkling wine has a shy nose with aromas of tree blossoms, grapefruit, unripe nectarine, bread, arrowroot biscuits and white pepper. This is a dry wine with lively bubbles and high acidity. The palate offers lemon, hints of caramelized sugar, brioche and a medium+ salty finish with green, starchy apple notes. 

References

Bassett, J. (April 10, 2017). The Man who put British Columbia on the International Wine Map. Retrieved from https://beta.theglobeandmail.com/life/food-and-wine/wine/the-man-who-put-bc-on-the-international-winemap/article34652951/?ref=http://www.theglobeandmail.com&

Bell, R. Dr. Harry McWatters. Retrieved from http://www.winesofcanada.com/harryMcwatters.html

Schreiner, J. The Wineries of British Columbia. North Vancouver, BC: Whitecap, 2004.

Schreiner, J. (April 3, 2010). The Second Coming of Harry McWatters. Retrieved from http://johnschreiner.blogspot.ca/2010/04/second-coming-of-harry-mcwatters.html

Schreiner, J. (July 12, 2011). He’s Back! Harry McWatters Unveils his own Label. Retrieved from http://johnschreiner.blogspot.ca/2011/07/hes-back-harry-mcwatters-unveils-his.html

Schreiner, J. (June 4, 2013). Harry McWatters Unveils Time Estate’s Winery. Retrieved from http://johnschreiner.blogspot.ca/2013/06/harry-mcwatters-unveils-time-estates.html

Schreiner, J. (May 31, 2016). Evolve Cellars 2015 Debut Lawrence Buhler. Retrieved from http://johnschreiner.blogspot.ca/2016/05/

Schreiner, J. (August 25, 2016). Steller’s Jay Releases Sparkling Gewürztraminer. Retriever from http://johnschreiner.blogspot.ca/2016/08/stellers-jay-releases-sparkling.html

Schreiner, J. (December 13, 2016). Evolve Bubbles and Friends. Retrieved from http://johnschreiner.blogspot.ca/2016/12/evolve-bubbles-and-friends.html